Dickens Tai of Mission Viejo was one of 34 recruits from the Orange County Fire Authority's Fire Academy 38 who graduated to the rank of firefighter after undergoing training in a 16-week academy this month. During the graduation ceremony, the recruits showed off their skills, including cutting metals with chainsaws and rappelling down a tower. They also received their firefighter badge.

COBLES DONATE 5,000 TO CHOC

Ladera residents Lori and Chris Coble donated more than $5,000 worth of toys to kids at the Children's Hospital of Orange County at Mission over the weekend in memory of the couple's three deceased children – Kyle, Emma and Katie. The Coble kids were killed May 4, 2007, after a tractor-trailer slammed into the back of the family's minivan on the southbound I-5 north of Oso Parkway in Mission Viejo. Funds were raised through the Coble Kids Foundation during its online Stella & Dot trunk show, which ended May 3. The drive raised the most funds to date for the nonprofit organization, an increase by $2,000 compared to last year's drive, Chris Coble said.

SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER

Parents, teachers and staff raised more than $230,000 for the academic and enrichment programs at St. John's Episcopal School in Rancho Santa Margarita during its annual Cardinella fundraiser. The funds included $24,000 to fund new iPads for the library and media center. The event took guests back to the '80s at the House of Blues in Anaheim. Event chairpersons were Tracey Thiessen of Ladera Ranch and Casandra Buser.

NEW ROTARY MEMBER

The Rotary Club of Mission Viejo has welcomed its newest member, Spencer Lehmann. Lehmann, a Mission Viejo resident, completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Stanford and doctor's degree at Brown University. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and worked as a chemical engineer for Shell Oil Company for more than 30 years until his retirement. He is past president of the Fallbrook Rotary Club and has 34 years Rotary experience.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The Association of California Cities in Orange County has installed its new 24-member board of directors. Mission Viejo Councilman Frank Ury is the first vice president of the new board. Nearly 200 local governments, business, nonprofit and legislative leaders participated in the installation ceremony at the new Newport Beach City Hall. The board consists of 13 voting city elected officials, selected by mayors of all member cities, and 11 nonvoting members from nonprofit, local government and private sector organizations. Ury also received the Liaison Award from the association, which is given to people who actively promote the value of collaborative policymaking at city halls, county government, community and media.

CHARITY BINGO

The Mission Viejo/Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge is holding weekly Charity Big Bucks Bingo fundraisers this month to benefit youth, veterans, children with special needs, police, firefighters and other groups in south Orange County and Saddleback Valley communities. The 6:15 p.m. events are slated May 15, 22 and 29 at the lodge, 25092 Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo.

JOINING THE LODGE

Ed Griffin has been initiated into the Mission Viejo/Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge. The lodge has served the Saddleback Valley communities for 43 years and is one of 10 lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD

Girl Scout Rachel Alhanati of Troop 939 in Lake Forest was honored for earning her Gold Award during a ceremony at the Lake Forest City Hall. Her Gold Award project benefited the nonprofit organization The Pet Rescue Center in Mission Viejo, which rescues and rehabilitates dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia at local animal shelters. Her project included creating the first Pet Rescue Center Calendar. Alhanati, an El Toro High School student, will attend Whittier College next fall on an academic scholarship studying pre-med biology and pursuing a career in the veterinarian field.

CARNIVAL FUN FOR SCHOOL

The Spring Family Fun Night Committee launched a family event at Bathgate Elementary on May 3. Girl Scout Troop 267 organized a cake walk to help raise money to support the kindergarten-third grade music program and the Dogzilla Food Truck supported the fifth grade science camp. Participants got creative with Mexican Jumping Beans to support Bathgate's Destination ImagiNation team efforts to raise money to compete in the Global Finals in Knoxville, Tenn. The event also featured free crafts, face painting, tattoos, balloon animals and colored hairspray booths, live music and a car show.

TEAM TO COUNT ON

The St. John's Middle School math club, the Octothorpes, competed in the third annual Sage Hill Mathematics Invitational. St John's, which draws students from Mission Viejo and nearby areas, performed well in the competition. Ryan Wilson was overall eighth grade champion in the Mental Math category. The eighth grade team, with sixth-grader Alex Lansing, finished as the first place team in Mental Math. The seventh grade team won second place in Mental Math, Data Analysis and the Engineering Challenge with a third place overall finish. The eighth grade team included: Parnia Abrishamchian, Alyssa Beamish and Ryan Wilson. The seventh grade team included Mitra Alikhani, Jack Barrera, Nikki Merritt and Lauren Wilkins. The sixth grade team members were Alex Lansing, Sonali Madisetti, Davey Pearson, Jake Taylor and Riley Walters.

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